Lead Paint From Arrigoni Bridge Stirs Fear

October 23, 1995|By COLIN POITRAS; Courant Staff Writer

MIDDLETOWN — The ``No Trespassing'' signs plastered outside Joanne Liljedahl's house at 103 Bridge St. aren't meant for just anyone. Liljedahl is particularly wary of people who want to clean the house.

Liljedahl and a neighbor, Bruce Kilgore, believe the Bridge Street home -- and one gutter in particular -- is laden with hazardous lead paint chips and tiny steel pellets that have dropped down from the Arrigoni Bridge.

The house, which is rented to two families, is located about 20 feet from one of the bridge's massive supports. It sits in the shade of the towering concrete and steel span most of the day.

Liljedahl and Kilgore believe the chips and pellets came from the state Department of Transportation's $18.6 million repainting project currently under way on the bridge. The pellets come from the special powerblasting that has to be done to take off old lead paint so new, less hazardous paint, can be applied.

State and local officials admit there are places on Liljedahl's property that show elevated levels of hazardous lead -- particularly one roofline gutter nearest the bridge. But they aren't entirely sure where the lead came from or if it came from the current project. And while both the DOT and its subcontracting painting crews have offered to clean up Liljedahl's property, Liljedahl and Kilgore won't let them.

They fear the state will do a superficial cleanup. The pair believe lead and steel particles have been tracked inside the houses and are all over the lawn and surrounding streets. They don't want any quick cleanup done; they want a full-scale lead abatement project approved by both the state Department of Transportation and the federal Environmental Protection Agency.

And so, Liljedahl called her attorney and posted the signs.

``I'm begging for help,'' Liljedahl said. ``But it's out of my hands now. This place is so contaminated. I don't know what to do. I'm waiting for the people responsible to go through my attorney so something can be done.''

Kilgore, who lives a short distance away at 31 Miller St., said that state officials lied when they promised neighbors they would completely contain the hazardous material coming off the bridge.

As he wanders about the area with a powerful magnet, Kilgore routinely picks up dozens of tiny steel pellets and fingernail-sized pieces of old paint.

``They're lying, there's no question about it,'' Kilgore said. ``Our air data shows it got out. I don't think they can clean this place up without moving all the people out of here.''

William Keish, a spokesman for the DOT, said he could not comment on Kilgore's and Liljedahl's complaints because of the possibility of litigation.

But Michelle Sullivan, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Environmental Protection, which has also gotten involved, could speak to the case.

``The DOT acknowledges there is a problem,'' Sullivan said.

``But it's been a difficult situation to resolve because there hasn't been cooperation on behalf of all the parties. . . . We have always felt if parties were more cooperative we could get this resolved more quickly,'' Sullivan said.

The situation may wind up being resolved in court. But most recently, the DEP, DOT and one of the subcontractors for the bridge work all agreed on some future air testing and a limited lead-abatement program for the area. It remains to be seen whether Liljedahl will agree to the proposal.

Meanwhile, the Middletown Health Department, aware of what's been going on, sent a letter to Liljedahl this week ordering her to clean up the hazardous lead.

City Health Director Leon Vinci says regardless of the dispute, the lead exists and needs to be removed. But Vinci said his interpretation of the different reports say the problem currently is not critical.

Liljedahl, who lives in the city, says a 2-year-old boy in one of the apartments of her Bridge Street house is starting to show signs of elevated levels of lead in his blood. She claims the child's lead level is proof of the hazards there.

But Vinci says the child's blood level is not serious, although slightly higher than average. Vinci also says there is no proof the child's lead level is a direct result of exposure to lead at the house.

``We have collaborated with other agencies, including the EPA and the DEP, and we concur with their position that there is not a major problem here,'' Vinci said. ``The data I've seen to date does not suggest more than an isolated concern.''